OMAHA, Neb. – For 60 years teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference have failed to win the college baseball national championship. Some of the most talented and skilled teams to ever slap on stirrups up on a college diamond left Omaha without brining home the ultimate trophy. Now finally, after six decades of disappointing losses and lovely parting gifts, the national title is back in the hands of an ACC team.

It took the most unlikely of teams to break the streak. Had it not been for a sweep of North Carolina at the end of the year Virginia wouldn’t have even finished their conference schedule with a .500 record. They were the seventh seed in the conference tournament and went 1-3 in the postseason tournament and were a bubble team to receive a Regional bid.

Nevertheless, here they were. One game away from making history.

The Cavaliers went to junior Brandon Waddell to get the historic win. Despite only getting three days rest since his last start, there was no question that Waddell would be toeing the rubber for UVA. Waddell had already etched his place into both Virginia and CWS folklore and there was no one else Head Coach Brian O’Connor could even remotely consider starting the game.

In his four CWS starts in 2014 and 2015, Virginia won each of the games Waddell had started. In those contests he posted a 1.93 ERA in 28 innings along with 16 strikeouts. On the grandest of stages he held opposition to a .233 opponent batting average with a teeny 0.68 WHIP. When he stymied a powerful Florida Gator team last Monday he became just the second pitcher in the past 25 years to throw at least seven innings while allowing a single run or less in Omaha (South Carolina’s Michael Roth did it four times from 2010 to 2012).

Despite his history and accolades, the Houston, Texas lefty had trouble throwing strikes out the gate. He walked the first batter on four pitches and a double to left field put runners in scoring position before a single out was made.

A RBI groundout to third brought scored the first run for Vanderbilt and a sharp rap that hugged the chalk of the left field line increased the lead to two. Waddell was able to induce a pair of groundouts to escape any additional damage.

The quick scores were even more troubling to the Cavaliers’ title hopes because they had failed to score themselves in the top of the first despite a great opportunity. The first two UVA batters batters reached base on the first two pitches of the game, but Virginia ultimately left the bases loaded when the third out was made.

Despite Waddell settling down to retire the side in the second and third innings, the momentum was unquestionably on Vanderbilt’s side; Virginia needed something big to happen.


PAVIN THE WAY TO HISTORY

Kenny Towns was able to reach first on a full-count walk which brought freshman Pavin Smith to the plate.

Before the season Smith was projected to be a big-time contributor to the Hoos’ future success. He had been positioned just outside of Perfect Game’s Top 100 draft prospects in the previous year's rankings and had been chosen by the Rockies late in the draft, although the pick was done as more of a complimentary gesture than one with realistic hope that he’d be suiting up in purple to play in Colorado.

Smith had made it well known that it was going to take an substantial amount to cash to those to keep him away the Virginia campus.

Like, Adam Haseley, the Cavalier’s hero from the night before, Smith was a two-way standout in high school who was gifted with a big slider that he paired with a low-90s fastball. He was also a smart, formidable batsman who concluded his prep career by adding power to his game with a short, productive swing. His all-around abilities made him a highly touted recruit and was named a Third Team Perfect Game High School Senior Preseason All American.

Brandon Waddell (Photo: Dennis Hubbard)

Nathan Kirby (Photo: Virginia Athletics)

Josh Sborz (Photo: Dennis Hubbard)